On June 28, Heritage Auctions announced Laura Paterson as the new consignment director of its Photographs Department. Paterson, who is British-American, holds a degree in art history from Edinburgh University and has three decades of experience in photography sales. In her role at Heritage, Paterson will assist Heritage’s director of photographs, Nigel Russell, in sourcing fine art photography for the firm’s sales in this category. Antiques and The Arts Weekly was able to catch up with Paterson after the announcement, to discuss her new role and what has led her here.
Congratulations on your new position as consignment director! What was the motivation behind your joining the team at Heritage?
Thank you very much. I’m thrilled to be part of such a distinguished organization. I’ve been aware of Heritage’s success for many years and was delighted when Nigel Russell, my former colleague and now the director of photographs at Heritage, suggested I join the team.
You have three decades of experience selling historical and contemporary photography at auction, at Christie’s, Bonhams and Hindman. Will your tenure at Heritage be different from these? In what way?
An interesting question! My role at Heritage is supportive and part-time but is otherwise identical to my past experiences as I help expand Heritage’s presence in the photography market. I’ll be sourcing the highest quality material and, in the days before the sale, sharing its significance with collectors. The department holds 14 sales per year, two Signature auctions for more valuable material, as well as 12 “Depth of Field” or “Showcase” monthly online sales for more moderately priced material. So, the sale volume is higher than I’m used to. However, as the world’s third-largest auction house, Heritage is well-resourced with a wonderful support team to help get the job done!
“At the Old Well of Acoma” by Edward S. Curtis, 1904, from The North American Indian, gelatin silver border print, 5½ by 7-5/8 inches (image/sheet), Signed and L.A. copyright in ink in the image. Heritage Photographs sale, October 1, Lot 73294 ($2/3,000). This print is one of several by Curtis from the prestigious Hal Gould Collection, which is being offered by Heritage this season. Gould’s Camera Obscura Gallery, established in Denver in 1979, was one of the earliest photography galleries in the US.
You have a noted reputation for an extensive knowledge of Western photography — especially that of Edward S. Curtis and Ansel Adams. What fascinates you the most about their photographic works and Western photography in general?
I grew up in the UK, so the vast open spaces of the American West always fascinated me. Equally compelling is the immense physical feat involved in creating these extraordinary landscape photographs. Nineteenth Century photographers such as Carleton Watkins would literally lug glass plates and darkroom equipment into the wilderness with them! As for Edward S. Curtis, I feel that The North American Indian is perhaps the most important visual and literary gem in American cultural history.
You hold a degree in art history from Edinburgh University. How did your studies there eventually shape your career path into what it is today?
I studied art history at Edinburgh — with no photographic component at all! I joined Christie’s in New York, where I had come for an adventure, in 1994 as an administrator, first in decorative arts and then in photography … and the rest is history!
What are you looking forward to the most in your new position at Heritage?
I am thrilled to be part of such a well-resourced and influential organization again, working with a team whom I respect inordinately — and to be allowed to do what I do best: work with clients and look at wonderful material!
—Kiersten Busch
